什麼是馬利

正式名稱馬利共和國（Republic of Mali）

西非國家。面積1,248,574平方公里。人口11,009,000（2001）。首都︰巴馬科。班巴拉人佔該國人口的1/3，其他族群包括富拉尼人、柏柏爾人和摩爾人。語言︰法語（官方語）、土語和方言、阿拉伯語。宗教︰伊斯蘭教（90%）、傳統宗教。貨幣︰非洲金融共同體法郎（CFAF）。馬利的地區地勢大都平坦。北部平原向撒哈拉沙漠延伸。上尼日河流域位南部，尼日河近1/3河段流往馬利。可耕地僅佔全國土地總面積的2%左右。牧場和草地約佔土地總面積的1/4。馬利的礦產資源有鐵礦砂、鋁礬土、石油、黃金、鎳和銅，大部分尚未開採。農業是最大產業，主要作物有粟、高粱、玉米和水稻。經濟作物有棉花和花生。政府形式為共和國，一院制。國家元首為總統；政府首腦為總理。

馬利在史前時代就有人類居住。該地區位於穿越撒哈拉的商道上，12世紀馬林克人在尼日河上游和中游地區建立馬利帝國。15世紀，廷巴克圖－加奧地區的桑海帝國取得統治地位，1591年摩洛哥侵入此地區；廷巴克圖（今通佈圖）受摩爾人統治達兩世紀之久。19世紀中葉，該地區被法國人佔領，併成為法屬西部非洲的一部分。1946年該地區稱為法屬蘇丹，成為法蘭西聯邦的一個海外領地。1958年宣佈成立蘇丹共和國；與塞內加爾（1959～1960）結成馬裡聯邦。塞內加爾退出後，1960年宣佈成立獨立的馬利共和國。1968和1991年政府被軍事政變推翻。1990年代期間舉行選舉，1997年舉行第二次選舉，但政治上仍不穩定。

Mali

Country, West Africa. Area: 482,077 sq mi (1,248,574 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 9,940,000. Capital: Bamako. The Bambara constitute about one-third of the country's total population. Other ethnic groups include the Fulani, the Berbers, and the Moors. Languages: French (official), indigenous languages and dialects, Arabic. Religions: Islam (90%), traditional beliefs, Christianity. Currency: CFA franc. Mali's terrain is largely flat, and in the northern part of the country its plains stretch into the Sahara. The Upper Niger River basin is situated in the south, and nearly one-third of the total length of the Niger River flows through Mali. Only about 2% of Mali's total land area is considered arable. Its mineral reserves, which are largely unexploited, include iron ore, bauxite, petroleum, gold, nickel, and copper. Agriculture is the largest industry; staple crops include millet, sorghum, corn (maize), and rice; cash crops include cotton and peanuts. It is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the region was situated on a caravan route across the Sahara. In the 12th century the Malinke empire of Mali was founded on the Upper and Middle Niger. In the 15th century the Songhai empire in the Timbuktu-Gao region gained control. In 1591 Morocco invaded the area, and Timbuktu (now Tombouctou) remained under the Moors for two centuries. In the mid-19th century the French conquered the area, which became part of French West Africa. In 1946 the area, known as the French Sudan, became an overseas territory of the French Union. In 1958 it was proclaimed the Sudanese Republic, and joined with Senegal (1959-60) to form the Mali Federation. Senegal seceded, and in 1960 the independent Republic of Mali was formed. The government was overthrown by military coups in 1968 and 1991. During the 1990s elections were held, the second time in 1997, but political instability continued.